McGovern, George Stanley McGovern, George Stanley , 1922–, U.S. senator from South Dakota (1963–81), b. Avon, S.Dak. He was (1942–45) a decorated B-24 bomber pilot during World War II and later taught (1949–53) American history. After serving as a Democrat (1957–61) in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was (1961–62) director of President Kennedy's Food for Peace Program and helped to found the UN World Food Program. Elected (1962) to the U.S. Senate, McGovern became an outspoken critic of defense spending and was among the first senators to oppose the Vietnam War . At the 1968 Democratic convention he tried unsuccessfully to rally the antiwar supporters of the late Robert F. Kennedy . In 1971 McGovern announced his candidacy for the presidency, promising to end the war in Vietnam, grant amnesty to Vietnam draft resisters, cut defense spending by $30 billion, increase corporate taxes, and provide a guaranteed annual income for all Americans. His grassroots campaign won him the Democratic nomination in 1972, but his handling of the Thomas

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